The Dictionary of Lost Words
Young Esme learns that some words are given more significance than others simply due to who uses them, who writes them, and the esteem that the collectors of words hold for those individuals.
Esme’s dad is a lexicographer working on the Oxford English Dictionary, an undertaking of a lifetime. Esme notices that words used by women or other underclasses aren’t included in the dictionary, and therefore she starts collecting words.
I enjoyed how words shaped and played such an important role in Esme’s life, the power that words have, and the power that academics have in uplifting or silencing people. Recommended.